Laura Moore ’08 entered on a whim, beat the cowboys, and took home the top title.
The Washington State University equestrian coach bested the second-place finisher by 5 seconds, riding the mechanical bull at Spangle, Washington’s Harvester Restaurant for 57 seconds during its recent mechanical bull riding “world championship.”
![Laura Moore rides the mechanical bull in Spangle](https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/902/2019/10/2019winter-laura-moore-2-792x445.jpg)
The contest was inspired by the 1980 film Urban Cowboy.
Moore, of Moscow, Idaho, grew up riding horses. “I signed up thinking I could probably win something. But I didn’t expect to win the whole thing, especially when I saw professional cowboys and rodeo clowns,” she says.
Fourth-place finisher Kyla Gabriel ’16 rode for Moore at WSU, where Moore specializes in English-style riding.
Moore won the $4,000 grand prize, plus $500 for getting to the top 10 and a commemorative belt buckle naming her the mechanical bull riding champion of the world. She’s planning to defend her title next year.